Nikon Coolpix L830: Swivel and Zoom

Nikon recently updated its Coolpix range of cameras including the Life (L) series. At the high end of the L series is the Nikon Coolpix L830 which is an update to the Coolpix L820. This is a bridge camera with a 34x optical zoom lens, which is slightly lower than Sony DSC-H300's 35x optical zoom.

While the Coolpix L830 seems to have a lot going for it, we find out if this camera has the actual chops to capture great images.

Design
Truly bridging the gap between DSLRs and compact digital cameras, the Coolpix L830 is a super-zoom digital camera trapped in a DSLR frame, only much smaller. While it is available in plain black as well as red, the plum colour variant which we got for review is very striking. The body is made entirely of plastic with a glossy coat of paint on top, but it does feel sturdy. On the whole, for the amount it costs, the camera looks premium.

The most striking feature of the camera is the variangle LCD monitor which can be tilted and lowered to an angle of approximately 85 degrees. This makes it easy to capture dramatic shots and we found it useful in awkward situations.

The grip features a rubber padding that makes holding the camera easier. On the flip side, we couldn't hold the camera properly with both hands, like one would a DSLR, since it has a really small frame. Holding the lens with the other hand was slightly disorienting as either the thumb came in the way of the flash or it got captured by the lens. 

You can use the Coolpix L830 easily with a single hand, but its 508g weight (including batteries) makes it slightly unwieldy and this adds to image stabilization issues that are inherent to super-zoom cameras. We feel that the ergonomics are slightly off, though there isn't much Nikon could have done in this case.

On the top edge is the power button, with the shutter release and zoom ring further forward on the grip. There is also an ugly-looking perforated speaker on the top which detracts from the otherwise decent design of the camera. There is another zoom control on the side of the lens barrel. Right above this is a small button to pop the flash open. On the left edge are the micro-HDMI and proprietary PC connection ports. On the right edge is the DC input connector. The bottom has the tripod socket and the compartment for four AA batteries and a memory card.

Features and specifications
The Nikon Coolpix L830 has a class-standard 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor that can capture images at 16 megapixels. This is a super-zoom camera with a 34x optical zoom lens, which means it can go as far as 765mm on the higher end and as close as 22.5mm on the lower end. The camera operates in the ISO sensitivity range of 125 to 3200.

The L830 can shoot in a variety of modes: Easy Auto, Auto, Special effects, Smart portrait and Scene (which includes Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night portrait, Party/indoor, Beach, Snow, Sunset, Dusk/dawn, Night landscape, Close-up, Food, Museum, Fireworks show, Black and white copy, Backlighting, Easy panorama and Pet portrait). 

While operating the camera, we found that the software buries the scene mode options really deep and it was tough to actually locate them. The software fails a little bit in this respect. Moreover, there are no manual controls at all, which will be a deterrent to users who want a little bit of flexibility in their photography. There is no Wi-Fi connectivity either, which is a bit of a letdown.

The 3-inch TFT LCD has a 921k dot resolution. It has really good viewing angles but the sunlight legibility is just about average.

Performance
Despite the small sensor size, it lets in a sufficient amount of light. The focusing ability of the lens in macro mode is not that great, though. In our daylight testing, we found that the camera managed to capture some really good details, even when zoomed in all the way to 34x. Pictures had a good depth of field, too. 

When zoomed in, we noticed some amount of noise. Moreover, the photos had an overall cool tonal quality to them. Printing pictures at full resolution might not produce ideal results, but you should be able to get away with 4x5-inch sized prints.

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BlackBerry Z3 Review: Sticking to What It Does Best

There's no denying the fact that BlackBerry (the company formerly known as Research In Motion) has serious problems. Five years ago, everyone from students to housewives to businessmen was willing to pay a lot of money to own a BlackBerry. Three years ago, Android and the iPhone began to make QWERTY phones feel seriously clunky and old-fashioned. Two years ago, we were hoping that the new BlackBerry 10 platform and devices based on it would reinvigorate the company, but ridiculous pricing and questionable decisions at every level destroyed any chance of that happening.

Ever since the launch of the Z10 a year and a half ago, we've been waiting for lower-priced models that might offer better value for money and wouldn't be completely overshadowed by Android. As it stands, there are very few BlackBerry loyalists left, and the majority of those who have moved on to Android or iOS are not going to give the company another chance without a lot of very good reasons. Let's find out if the new BlackBerry Z3 delivers.

Looks and feel
BlackBerry really does know how to build beautiful phones. The Z3 is ridiculously good looking and its construction quality is impeccable. As of now, it's only available in black but we wouldn't be surprised to see a white edition in the future. The front is all smooth glass, and there really isn't much bezel space around the screen itself. The rear is made of a texturised soft-touch plastic with the classic BB logo in the centre. For better or worse, the battery is non-removable.

The camera and flash are in the top-left corner of the rear, much like they are on the older Z10. A plastic flap on the phone's right edge covers the SIM and microSD card slots, while the power button is placed towards the top of the left edge with the volume controls and voice command shortcut button below it. The Micro-USB port is on the bottom and 3.5mm headset port is on the top. The Z3 doesn't have a mini-HDMI port, which sets it apart from its higher-end siblings.

The Z3 feels good in the hand even if it is just a bit too heavy. It's slim, slick, and very well put-together. In fact it could put several high-end phones to shame in this regard.

 specifications and software
There's good news and bad news - while the Z3 is brand new and undoubtedly good-looking, it's built with mostly utilitarian components. The processor is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 with integrated Adreno 305 graphics, but there's a generous 1.5GB of RAM to keep things humming along. The screen is a bit of a letdown at 540x960 pixels despite its large size. There's Wi-Fi b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0 along with A-GPS, FM radio, an accelerometer and a proximity sensor. There's only 8GB of internal storage space, but microSD cards of up to 32GB are supported (and 64GB cards might work unofficially).

The main attraction is of course the BlackBerry 10 OS. The Z3 comes with version 10.2.1 which is considerably improved over the version that originally shipped with the Z10. The phone might be physically similar to pretty much every other touchscreen smartphone out there, but the BlackBerry OS takes quite a bit of time and effort to get used to, even for users of older non-touch BlackBerrys. For starters, there are no buttons of any sort to help you move through the OS; you have to remember to use gestures instead. This is problematic because things aren't always laid out as you might expect them to be, making navigation unpredictable at times. Moreover, you have to move your thumb quite a lot over the large screen which takes longer and requires more effort than a simple button press would have.

Z3's lock screen is pretty plain. There is of course a large clock, plus assorted status indicators. You'll see a list of notification icons down the left, and tapping on any of them will bring up details of your missed calls, messages, emails or social network alerts - you can choose not to display these details in the security settings. There's also a pull-down shade which takes you into bedside mode. This dims the screen and displays a large illuminated clock on which you can easily drag dots indicating the times each of your alarms will ring.

On unlocking the screen, you'll see four large thumbnails representing your most recently used apps. A swipe to the right will bring up the BlackBerry Hub, and swipes to the left will take you through as many pages of app icons as you have. The thumbnail page isn't like conventional app switchers - it shows only four apps - and so its utility is rather limited. You can never be sure that an app you want is going to be there - in fact it gets in the way when you need to get to the app shortcuts. This is also when we really miss having a home screen or at least a tray that frequently used apps can be pinned to.

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